Last updated: September 29, 2026
General information for the 2026 tax year, current as of September 29, 2026. Your own return depends on your situation; bring your questions to your appointment.
In short: Before December 31, 2026, check whether your ITIN expires, count your days in the United States, write down the highest balance of every account you have abroad, and keep receipts for money you send home. For 2026 returns, several credits and deductions now require a Social Security number, so mixed-status families should know which ones still apply. Returns are due April 15, 2027.
Before December 31, 2026
- Check your ITIN. ITINs not used on a federal return for 2023, 2024 or 2025 expire December 31, 2026, and ITINs issued before 2013 that were never renewed have already expired. Renew with Form W-7 only if the ITIN will go on a federal return; the renewal usually goes in with the 2026 return.
- If you now have a Social Security number, stop using your ITIN.
- Count your days in the United States this year, using your passport stamps and I-94 travel history.
- Write down the highest balance of each bank account you have outside the United States.
- Keep receipts for money you send abroad, and note whether you paid with cash or from a bank account or card.
- Open a U.S. bank account if you don't have one; the IRS has mostly stopped mailing paper refund checks.
New Social Security Number Rules for 2026
The 2025 tax law tied several benefits to a Social Security number (SSN) that is valid for work. This matters most for families where some members have SSNs and others have ITINs:
| Benefit | Who can claim it for 2026 |
|---|---|
| Child Tax Credit ($2,200 per child) | The child needs an SSN valid for work. The parent needs one too, but on a joint return only one spouse does; the other can have an ITIN. |
| Credit for other dependents ($500) | An ITIN works for the parent and the dependent. The dependent must be a U.S. citizen, U.S. national or U.S. resident. |
| Education credits (American Opportunity and Lifetime Learning) | New for 2026: the taxpayer needs an SSN, and so does the student. |
| Deductions for tips, overtime and age 65 or older | An SSN valid for work is required, and married couples must file jointly. |
| Car loan interest deduction | The law sets no SSN requirement. |
| Earned income tax credit | Everyone on the return, including qualifying children, needs an SSN valid for work (existing law). |
| New York Empire State Child Credit | Accepts an SSN or an ITIN for parents and children, for full-year New York residents. |
Sources: Public Law 119-21; IRS instructions for Schedule 8812; IRS: who qualifies for the EITC; New York Empire State Child Credit.
Resident, Nonresident or Both
Your tax status comes from IRS tests, not your visa. You are a resident for tax purposes if you had a green card at any time in the year, or if you were in the United States at least 31 days this year and at least 183 days over three years, counting all of this year's days, one-third of last year's and one-sixth of the year before. In a year you arrive or become a resident, you are often dual-status: no standard deduction, no head-of-household rates and no joint return, unless a married couple chooses to treat both spouses as residents for the whole year (IRS Publication 519). Our tax help for new immigrants page explains these rules in more detail.
Money, Accounts and Property Back Home
- Worldwide income. Once you are a U.S. resident for tax purposes, rent, interest and gains from sales in Bangladesh or anywhere else go on your U.S. return.
- FBAR. If your accounts outside the United States added up to more than $10,000 at any time in 2026, you file FinCEN Form 114 electronically with FinCEN, not with your tax return. It is due April 15, 2027, with an automatic extension to October 15, 2027.
- Form 8938. Filed with your return if you live in the United States and your foreign financial assets were worth more than $50,000 at year-end or $75,000 at any time ($100,000 and $150,000 on a joint return). You may need both forms.
- Property. Land or a flat you own directly abroad isn't reported on the FBAR or Form 8938, but the rent it earns and any gain when you sell it are taxable in the United States.
- Foreign tax credit. Income tax you paid abroad can reduce your U.S. tax, usually through Form 1116. The United States and Bangladesh have had an income tax treaty in force since August 7, 2006. Bangladesh's income year runs from July to June, so a Bangladeshi return covers parts of two U.S. tax years; bring it and we'll match the tax to the right year.
- Gifts and inheritances from abroad. If you received more than $100,000 in 2026 from a person living abroad or a foreign estate, report it on Form 3520. The gift usually isn't taxed, but the penalty for not reporting it can be large.
- Relatives abroad. Parents or other relatives living in Bangladesh generally can't be claimed as dependents, and money you send them isn't deductible.
The New 1% Tax on Remittances
Since January 1, 2026, a 1% federal excise tax applies when you send money abroad through a remittance provider and pay with cash, a money order, a cashier's check or a similar instrument. The provider collects it from you when you send. Transfers paid from an account at a U.S. bank or credit union, or with a U.S.-issued debit or credit card, are not taxed. Watch for one catch: if the provider cashes a check for you and sends the cash, that transfer counts as cash-funded and is taxed. If a transfer is canceled and the provider doesn't return the tax, you can claim it back from the IRS on Form 8849, Schedule 6. The IRS has only proposed its rules so far, and the final rules could change some details (Federal Register: proposed rules, April 13, 2026).
Marketplace Health Insurance
From 2026, lawfully present immigrants with household income below the federal poverty line who can't get Medicaid because of their immigration status no longer qualify for the premium tax credit. From 2027 the credit is limited to green card holders, Cuban and Haitian entrants, and Compact of Free Association migrants. If you get advance credit, report income changes to the Marketplace during the year: for 2026 there is no cap on paying back advance credit that turns out to be too high (Public Law 119-21, sections 71301 to 71305).
Moved to New York During 2026?
If you moved into or out of New York during the year, you generally file Form IT-203 as a part-year resident, and New York City part-year residents also file Form IT-360.1. The Empire State Child Credit is for full-year residents only (New York Tax Department: part-year residents).
Documents to Bring
- Passport, visa and I-94 travel history, so we can count your days
- Green card or work permit (EAD), if you have one
- Social Security card or ITIN letter for everyone on the return; for an ITIN renewal, your passport or other original documents
- W-2s and 1099s from U.S. work
- Records of income from abroad: salary, rent, interest and sales of property
- Proof of tax paid abroad, such as your Bangladeshi tax return and payment receipts
- Each foreign account's bank name, address, account number and highest 2026 balance
- Records of gifts or inheritances from abroad over $100,000
- Receipts for money sent abroad
- Form 1095-A if you had Marketplace health insurance
- Birth and marriage certificates for a spouse or children you are claiming
- Last year's U.S. return, if you filed one
We go through all of this in English or Bangla at our office on Hillside Avenue. See also our Bengali tax accountant page.
Sources
Checked September 29, 2026. Dates in 2027 follow the published rules; the IRS and New York have not released their 2027 calendars yet, and we will update this page if a date moves.
- IRS: how to renew an ITIN, updated November 17, 2025
- IRS: how to apply for an ITIN, updated February 22, 2026
- IRS Topic 857, ITIN, updated September 24, 2026
- Public Law 119-21 (2025 tax law), enacted July 4, 2025
- IRS Publication 519, U.S. Tax Guide for Aliens, 2025 edition
- IRS: comparison of Form 8938 and FBAR requirements, updated September 19, 2026
- IRS: Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR), updated July 30, 2026
- IRS: Bangladesh tax treaty documents, updated December 31, 2025
- IRS Topic 856, foreign tax credit, updated September 24, 2026
- IRS: gifts from foreign persons, updated April 17, 2026
- Federal Register: excise tax on remittance transfers (proposed rules), April 13, 2026
- PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries: Bangladesh tax administration, reviewed July 31, 2026
- New York Tax Department: part-year residents
Common Questions
My ITIN wasn't used on a tax return for 2023, 2024 or 2025. What happens?
It expires on December 31, 2026. If you need it on your 2026 return, renew it with Form W-7, usually sent with that return. Filing with an expired ITIN delays your return.
Can an ITIN family still get the Child Tax Credit?
Only if the child has a Social Security number valid for work and at least one parent on the return has one too. ITIN families can still claim the $500 credit for other dependents, and New York's Empire State Child Credit accepts ITINs.
Do I pay the new 1% remittance tax?
Only on money you send abroad by paying the provider with cash, a money order, a cashier's check or a similar instrument, starting January 1, 2026. Transfers paid from a U.S. bank account or with a U.S.-issued debit or credit card aren't taxed. The provider collects the tax when you send.
Do I have to report my bank account in Bangladesh?
If you are a U.S. resident for tax purposes and your accounts outside the United States added up to more than $10,000 at any time in the year, yes, on an FBAR filed with FinCEN. The interest they earn also goes on your U.S. return.
Can I claim my parents in Bangladesh as dependents?
Generally no. A dependent has to be a U.S. citizen, U.S. national or U.S. resident, or live in Canada or Mexico.